The U.S. Department of Education neither confirmed nor denied the story. "The Federal Commission on School Safety has studied this topic extensively and will make a recommendation on it in its final report," said Elizabeth Hill, a spokeswoman for DeVos.

In addition to increasing funding for a Department of Justice policing program, the House lawmakers' bill would set aside a share of the department's grants for school resource officer pay and benefits.

A little-known provision of the Every Student Succeeds Act allows students who attend a "persistently dangerous school," or who become the victim of a violent crime on school grounds, to transfer to a safer school.

The U.S. Department of Education's internal watchdog—the Office of the Inspector General—will be looking at the agency's process dismissing civil rights complaints, its oversight of accountability systems, and other issues.